Data Scientist

Department

AI RISC

About the Department

Foster Insights is an exciting new project out of the University’s Center for RISC, an innovation lab for social good led by Freakonomics economist Steve Levitt. We help state child welfare agencies and NGOs use data to deliver better outcomes, ensuring that children in foster care remain connected to their families and communities whenever possible. With a fast-growing list of clients, we are seeking team members ready to wear multiple hats and support building Foster Insights from the ground up.

Job Summary

As a Data Scientist at Foster Insights, you will lead a team of data analysts in conducting complex data analyses to support the enhancement of child welfare systems. Utilizing your expertise in data manipulation and visualization with R, Python, and other tools, you will mentor team members and ensure the delivery of high-quality data products. You will convert intricate data into actionable insights and communicate these findings to child welfare leaders across the country, ultimately helping to improve outcomes for children and families.

Responsibilities

• Leads and mentors junior team members, ensuring the delivery of impactful data analysis to child welfare system leaders, including state directors, NGO executives, and program staff.
• Transforms complex datasets into analyzable formats using tools like R, such as dplyr and data.table, and Python, including Pandas.
• Develops clear and reproducible code, and maintains version control using systems like Git. 
• Creates and maintains technical documentation for code and data elements to ensure team-wide understanding and consistency. 
• Engages with external leadership to identify and capitalize on opportunities for impactful data analysis. 
• Utilizes statistical techniques to analyze large datasets and derive significant insights. 
• Visualizes data using appropriate tools , such as R's ggplot2 and Highcharts, to create compelling, actionable presentations for external leadership. 
• Collaborates with software engineers to enhance data pipelines and guarantee the availability of high-quality datasets. 
• Stays updated on policy changes and new research in the child welfare sector to integrate relevant findings into analyses. 
• Has a deep understanding of methods to analyze complex data sets for the purpose of extracting and purposefully using applicable information. May develop and maintain infrastructure that connects data sets. 
• Calibrates data between large and complex research and administrative datasets. Guides and may set the operational protocols for collecting and analyzing information from the University's various internal data systems as well as from external sources. 
• Designs and evaluates statistical models and reproducible data processing pipelines using expertise of best practices in machine learning and statistical inference. Provides expertise for high level or complex data-related requests and engages other IT resources as needed. Partners with other campus teams to assist faculty with data science related needs. 
• Performs other related work as needed.   

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education: 

• Bachelor's degree in data science, computer science, economics, or similar field.  

Experience: 

• Handling and presenting high stakes and sensitive data. 
• Managing data projects with little direction. 

Technical Skills or Knowledge: 

• Proficiency with R, Python, and data visualization software, such as Tableau.
• Familiarity with AWS GovCloud.  

Preferred Competencies 

• Strong leadership skills and proven track record of delivering large-scale projects. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of engaging both technical and non-technical audiences. 
• Manage a fast-moving team and develop other team members’ capabilities. 
• Proven record of aligning external stakeholder needs with high quality deliverables. 
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail, especially with regards to data. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven record of effective relationship-building with internal and external constituents. 
• Professional demeanor including tact, discretion, and a customer service oriented approach. 
• Proven ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines, and possession of a self-motivated disposition. 
• Critical thinking skills and identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes to achieve key objectives. 
• Strong data skills, including proven ability to produce impactful insights with little direction. 
• Work both independently and successfully as a member of a team. 

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)  
• Cover Letter (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$90,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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